


Eleven, What The Hell Does That Mean?

by abitchsufferingwritersblock



Category: IT (2017), Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stranger Things, F/M, Its reddie central over here, M/M, aka bev who is our max of the story is introduced before eddie who is our little el in this story, but richie being a dumbass makes it better, but there is a demogorgon, eddie is a test subject and that makes me sad, everyone is friends with everyone - Freeform, just read the summary i am so bad at tagging, like the first dragons lair scene in this fic wink wink, plus im sorry i love benverly its so cute, season one and two of stranger things are combined in this, so not yay, so yay, stenbrough is actually my favorite ??? let the boys be happy bird watchers thank you, there are lots of refrences to both the show and the movie, theres a lot of foreshadowing, theres no pennywise so yay, we've got madmarsh over here she's pretty badass
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-02-07 09:31:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12838314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abitchsufferingwritersblock/pseuds/abitchsufferingwritersblock
Summary: When Bill, Richie, Stan, Mike and Ben meet MadMarsh at the arcade on their first week of summer vacation, they didn’t think their summer could be any weirder than just a girl beating Richie’s high score on Dig Dug, until a small boy in a hospital gown and his head shaved was found lost in the woods, trying to avoid more than just the rain.A Stranger Things AU, combining season one and two together.





	1. Cujo vs A Gremlin

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, this is a Stranger Things AU. Yes, I know I'm not original. Yes, there are so many references in this fic you are going to hate me. Yes, at some point I will probably forget this story even exists. Enjoy!

“I’m j-just saying, C-Cujo w-w-would win, no dou-doubt.” Bill, Stan and Richie walked down the narrow dirt path, making their way over to Mike’s farm. The summer had just started, and the boys were finally free to do whatever they pleased. Mike was homeschooled, and had been his entire life, but his grandparents had decided that at the start of next year, they would let the young Hanlon attend public school in return for his successful laboring at the farm. 

 

The three boys were about ten minutes away from their destination, Bill and Richie beside each other, Stan a few steps behind, looking through the trees for any sign of wildlife more interesting than the bickering between the two boys in front of him. 

 

“No dice, man. Have you seen the damn Gremlins?! Those little shits are creepy as hell, they’d scare anything away!” Richie waved his hands around, creating gusts of wind as he did so. 

 

“Richie, Cujo is a rabid dog, and gremlins are creatures that were pissy because they were fed at the wrong time. Bill’s got a point.” Stan didn’t look away from the trees as he spoke, but he could tell Bill was flashing him a smile as Richie’s mouth flew open. 

 

“Stanathan, I thought you would back me up here!” Richie gripped at his heart dramatically, leaning over to prop himself up against Bill’s shoulder. “You wound me, Stanley, wound me.”

 

Bill rolled his eyes fondly, pushing the raven haired boy off of his side as Stan scoffed, muttering a “Shut the fuck up, you’re scaring the birds.” 

 

The rest of the walk consisted of (silent) bickering and birdwatching as they walked towards Mike’s farm. 

 

* * *

 

“MICYCLE!” Richie ran towards the boy, throwing his arms around his neck and hopping up onto his back. Mike looked unphased, tilting his head to clearly see Richie, who was ‘admiring the view from up here’. “Who would win in a fight, a gremlin or Cujo?”

 

Mike walked into the arcade, Richie on his back and Stan and Bill following behind. The boys had decided to go to the arcade for their first day of summer vacation, and Richie was ecstatic to be able to play  Dig Dug repeatedly, still remaining the highest scorer on the game. 

 

“Oh Cujo, for sure. He’s a rabid dog, he could eat those damn things up in one bite.” Richie scoffed, demanding he be let down off of a traitor's back immediately. 

 

“H-hah, Richie. I t-told you.” Bill smiled, Stan rolling his eyes once again  for god knows how many times it had been by now. 

 

Richie stuck his tongue out at Bill, eyes averting to a stocky figure entering the building. “BENNY BOY, MY MAN!” The others turned around to see Ben making his way over towards the group, a smile on his face. 

 

Mike put a hand on Ben’s shoulder, smiling at the boy as he approached. “So, Ben, you ready to finally win Princess Daphne’s heart this time?” Stan smiled from his spot opposite of Ben, the three of them walking over to the vacant machine, Stan sliding the coins into the slot as Ben stood in front of the big screen. 

 

“So, Big Bill, you ready to get your ass kicked at Street Fighter?” 

 

“Oh, y-y-you wish, Tozier.”

 

* * *

 

“I did it… oh my gosh I DID IT!” Ben jumped up and down a few times, his death grip still remaining on the joystick of the arcade game. Mike whooped as Stan patted Ben on the back, turning around to try and find the Street Fighter machine, where he was sure Richie and Bill had to be. 

 

Richie spotted Stan first, waving enthusiastically at the sandy haired boy with an overzealous smile plastered on his face. Stan stood on the tips of his toes, cupping his hands around his mouth, “BEN JUST WON DRAGONS LAIR!”

 

Bill’s head shot up, eyes focusing on Stan rather than the screen of the machine in front of him. He and Richie looked at each other quickly before running over towards the other three, smiling widely. 

 

Bill squeezed in between Mike and Ben, patting the latter on the back, “wow… I’ve been at this game for you know, forever! Good job, man!” Ben smiled back at Bill, blush making an appearance on the boy’s cheeks. That was one of the things everyone loved about Bill, how honest and supportive he was. Instead of being jealous and passive aggressive towards Ben, he was truly happy for the boy and that he won. He just took it as an influence, like Ben was Bill’s sign to try harder next time. 

 

Richie glanced over at Bill’s wrist, reading the time on the rectangular watch. “Damn, the arcades gonna close soon. Sunday.” The others groaned but nodded, cheering for Ben one last time before exiting the small building.

 

The group stood in the parking lot, Richie turning around and blowing a kiss towards the arcade, as if bidding it farewell even though he knew damn well he’d be back tomorrow. 

 

“Wh-who’s up for hanging out a-at my place t-to-onight?” Bill asked the group of boys, smile wide. Ben was about to object, going to bring up something about school tomorrow, before realizing that it was summer, causing a sigh to escape from the boy’s lips. 

 

Stan nodded at the suggestion, Richie following suit, adding in a, “Why, of course, Sir Billiam, how could I evah pass up a splendid evening with you, kind sir.” to which Stan quipped,

 

“Richie, I really would appreciate if you didn’t do the British Guy right now,” and earning a laugh from everyone else. 

 

Mike was on edge a bit, but British Guy Richie wouldn’t stop pestering until Mike gave in, deciding that one day wouldn’t kill his grandparents. 

 

The boys grabbed their bikes, heading towards Bill’s in their perpetual pattern: Bill in the very front, Stan and Ben side by side right behind him, Mike in the back, and Richie circling the boys as they rode. 

 

* * *

 

“BILLY!” The boys entered the Denbrough household, but couldn’t even step as much as a foot into the house before Bill’s little brother, Georgie, came running up the basement stairs and launching himself at Bill. Georgie squeezed his brother tightly, smiling at the others from over his brother’s shoulder. The younger Denbrough finally let go of his older brother, looking up at the boy with wide eyes. 

 

“How’s the campaign, Georgie?” Richie snorted, earning a jab in the gut from Stan. Georgie had claimed the basement as his own ever since it got refurnished and cleaned up a bit. It was a lot more like a home down there, and it was most likely where you would find the youngest son in the house, along with his five other friends. The six of them would play endless hours of Dungeons and Dragons, and according to Bill, it was the cutest thing he’s ever watched. 

 

“It was great! Mom said we’d have to end it though, since I have swimming lessons tomorrow morning and I can’t have anyone sleeping over. You guys are staying though, right?” Georgie looked past Bill, eyeing the rest of the boys who still stood in the doorway. Stan nodded and smiled as Richie kicked his shoes off and crouched down next to Georgie. 

 

“Why, of course we are, ol’ chap! ‘Ow could I spend me day wi’out sayin ‘ello ya lil Georgie!” Georgie laughed as Richie ruffled the younger boy’s hair and standing back up. Bill smiled at the two as Stan rolled his eyes, the group making their way into the living room. 

 

Bill yelled up the stairs to his mother, saying hello and that his friends were over, to which his mother responded with a simple grunt of acknowledgement. 

 

“Y-you want anyth-thing t-t-to drink?” Bill remained standing as the boys sat down sporadically on the two couches in the room. 

 

The group all nodded, and Bill went off to the kitchen to get them all a cup of water, Stan following to go help and Richie getting up as well to continue his chat with Stan. 

 

Mike, Ben and Georgie all sat on one of the sofa’s, Mike on one end, legs curled up in front of him, Ben in the middle, sitting on his legs and Georgie’s back to the other couch arm, sitting with his legs crossed. 

 

“So, Georgie, do you and your friends play D&D a lot?” Ben already knew the answer to that question, but it made him happy when he watched the younger boy ramble on about the game that he loved oh so much. Mike smiled from his spot, looking over at Georgie as well. 

 

Georgie’s face brightened at the mention of the game, sitting up straighter. “Yeah! All the time! I play with my friends Lucas, Dustin, Max, Jane, and Will! I’m the Paladin, Will is our Cleric, Jane is our Mage, Lucas is our Ranger, Dustin is our Bard, and Max is our Rogue. We have a lot of fun. You guys should come watch one of our campaigns sometime!” Georgie’s tangent was cut off as Bill entered the living room with three cups in his hands, Stan holding the other three, and Richie with a bag of chips in hand, a handful of them shoved into his mouth. 

 

“A-al-alright, Georgie, I th-think they’ve heard e-enough.” Bill let out a laugh as he set down the three cups he was holding, taking one of them for himself. Georgie sighed, smiling nonetheless as he took a cup from Stan. Richie, Bill, and Stan took a seat in the couch opposite of the other, Richie grabbing the remote and flicking through the channels. 

 

Without a care in the world, the six of them watched movie after movie until it was three in the morning and the boys were all asleep. Richie’s legs were sprawled out on Stan’s lap, head on a small pillow and drool spilling out of his open mouth. Bill and Stan were cuddled into each other’s side, the former’s head resting on top of the other boy’s. Mike was curled up on his side, head using the arm of the couch as a pillow. Georgie’s head lay in Ben’s lap as the older boy slept sat straight, legs propped up on a foot stool that belonged to the La-Z-Boy across the room. 

 

If Bill had known what would happen to him in the future, he would trade it all to have this moment back again, with the addition of a few new people he’ll met along the way. 

 


	2. MadMarsh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two! My updates might be sporadic, but I'm totally not giving up on it like some other fic's I have...

“Wait, wait, wait. Keith, my man, you mean to tell me that some dude beat _my_ , me, Richie Tozier, MY high score on Dig Dug?” The older teen nodded, looking down incredulously as a piece of his Cheeto flew out of his mouth and onto the ground. “No, no no. That’s _impossible!”_

 

“Speak for yourself, little man,” Keith tentatively picked the bitten Cheeto up off of the neon-colored rug and put it back in his mouth slowly, causing Ben to shiver and Stan to grimace and look away.

 

“But, but who?! _Who_ could have beat my score?” Richie stood on the tips of his toes, getting in Keith’s face. Keith sighed, causing Richie to scrunch up his nose in disgust and gag at the horrendous Cheeto and mint scent. Keith leaned forward putting his weight on the yellow counter that separated the back room and the arcade. Richie stood in front on the other side of the counter, Bill at his right side and Ben and Stan stood about three steps behind them. Mike went off to buy some snacks for the group, coming back and standing on Ben’s left, a bunch of pretzels and bags of cotton candy in his hands.

 

“I’ll tell you, as long as I get something in return.” Keith wiggles his eyebrows in Stan’s direction, causing the group to collectively shiver and gag. Stan mouthed an ‘ew’ and thought about his sister and the town's “local arcade creep” together.

 

“Ew, no… gross,” Richie shook the thought out of his head, his glare returning to Keith, “Fuck you. You’re really no help at all, you know that?” Richie mumbled nonsense curse words under his breath as he ran towards the Dig Dug machine, the others following behind.

 

Richie turned, coming face to face with the all too familiar screen, the Dig Dug scoreboard blinking at him. He scanned the list, going from the bottom up, “Trashmouth” no longer in first, in its place was MadMarsh.

 

“MadMarsh, who the hell is _MadMarsh_?” Richie stared at the luminescent screen, the others crowded around behind him.

 

Ben gasped, standing on his tip-toes go get a better look. “751300? How?!” The others read the score as well, going bug-eyed and slack-jawed.

 

“Richie,” Bill pushed the others back a little, standing next to Richie, “try playing again, see if you can beat your high score.” Richie nodded, sliding a quarter into the machine as the intro music blared through the tiny arcade.

 

* * *

 

“WHAT THE FUCK?! HOW?!” Richie banged his fist on the red button, hitting his head on the glass screen.

 

Mike put a hand on the boy’s back, trying to calm him down. “What’d you get?”

 

“650900! That’s less than my high score!” Stan, despite himself, laughed at the scene unfolding in front of him, slapping the back of his hand over his mouth so no sound came out. Bill glanced over at the boy, punching his shoulder lightly before laughing along as Mike and Ben comforted Richie.

 

Stan nudged Bill, leaning towards the other boy. “I don’t get why he doesn’t call himself BitchieRichie, it’s a bit more accurate than Trashmouth.” Stan nodded towards the boy, gesturing for Bill to look over.

 

Bill laughed loudly at the remark, watching as Richie gripped the sides of the machine, kicking it as he grumbled “I hate this fucking game and that son of a bitch who beat me and this godforsaken game that was probably creating by a spawn of incest during an orgy-” and Ben slapping his hand over Richie’s mouth.

 

A few parents shot Richie disapproving looks, which just caused Bill to laugh harder and for Stan to throw his head back in hysterics. Ben watched helplessly as Mike grabbed Richie’s wrist and dragged the not-quite-screaming boy away from the machine and out into the parking lot. The other three followed behind, watching as Richie sat down on the sidewalk and regained his breath.

 

“The quarry?” Ben looked at the rest of the boys, who all nodded in approval. The group grabbed their bikes from the bike rack, throwing themselves on as quickly as possible before heading out towards the quarry.

 

* * *

 

“Alrighty then, who’s jumping?” Bill looked between the four boys around him, Ben and Mike to his left and Stan and Richie on his right. The group had decided that since it was hot as hell out there, they might as well just take a swim in the quarry, in which Richie insisted they jump off.

 

Stan shook his head, in no way would he be jumping before Bill Denbrough, the bravest of their small group. In fact, no one even wanted to be the first to jump at all, even Richie, who had proposed the damn idea in the first place.

 

“I’ll do it!” Ben jumped slightly, whipping his head back at the source of the noise. The others followed suit, eyes widening at the sight of the girl, short red hair glowing in the sun like a halo around her face, freckles more prominent, considering it was, in fact, summertime.

 

The girl, clad in only a baby blue bikini, kicked off her shoes, smiling expectantly at the five boys. Mike took a step over to allow Ben some space to move out of the girl’s way, Stan grabbing Bill by the wrist, pulling the starstruck boy towards him to clear a path for the girl.

 

She smiled at them before running towards the lip of the cliff and jumping off, without hesitation.

 

“What the fuck?!” The boys gathered around the edge of the cliff, peering over the side, Richie watching with his eyebrows knitted together. Stan’s eyebrows rose in shock as he watched, Mike with an impresses smirk gracing his lips, and Bill and Ben remained staring at the water in awe.

 

Bill looked at the others quickly before jumping in after the mysterious redhead. Stan and Richie followed quickly after simultaneously. Mike smiled, shooting Ben a knowing glance before jumping in as well. Ben took a deep breath, looking at his friends from up above for one last time before following after the others.

 

* * *

 

It was long after the boys and this mysterious girl had finished swimming, and the group of kids were sat in the sun, New Kids On The Block playing from Ben’s boombox and Bill’s stack of comic books sat in a pile in the middle of the group.

 

Mike lay on a rock, back pressed against the surprisingly smooth surface as he flipped through one of Bill’s comics, Richie doing the same on a rock nearby, back facing the sun. Stan sat propped up against a tree, legs crossed and bird book propped up against some stones, the book open to some random page and binoculars were in the boy’s hand. Bill’s head rested in Stan’s lap, hands folded and resting on his chest, watching as the other boy pointed towards certain trees, naming certain birds and basic facts about them. Ben sat next to the girl, who was lying down on her back, heart-framed sunglasses with lenses tinted pink adorned her face, the two of them making small talk.

 

“Derry isn’t like any other town I’ve lived in, it’s given me an every vibe ever since I moved here.” Ben looked around as he spoke, eyeing everything but the girl in front of him. “What’s your name?”

 

The girl reached up for her sunglasses, pulling them down so she could glance at Ben without the colored film in front of her. “Beverly Marsh.”

 

Richie perked up at the girl —Beverly’s — words, slamming his comic book shut and sitting up abruptly. “Madam,” Richie stood from his spot on the rock, taking a seat not-so-gracefully next to Beverly, “Marsh? As in, possibly, MadMarsh?”

 

Beverly side eyed the boy, smirk playing at her pink tinted lips and wet curls hanging in front of her eye. “And you are…?”

 

“Richie ‘Trashmouth’ Tozier, st your service. Always number one in Dig Dug until that fateful day you beat my score.”

 

“Trashmouth! How impressive! I didn’t know I was chilling with a real gamer, here.” Beverly sat up, taking her sunglasses off completely and folding them before placing them down beside her.

 

Richie looked over at Ben, smiling at the boy before turning his attention back towards Beverly.

 

“Well, Bev, my dear, it is not me who is the real gamer, but Bensicle who won Dragons Lair.” Richie pointed with both hands towards Ben, who blushed madly, cheeks becoming a dark crimson.

 

“Dragons Lair? Really?! That’s like, the one game I can never seem to beat!” Beverly gushed, turning now to look at Ben, who accepted the compliment and smiled. Richie stood back up, winking at Ben as he made his way back over towards Mike, picking up his comic book once again and taking a seat back in the rock.

 

* * *

 

The boys ended up bidding Beverly farewell, the group of six promising each other that they’d meet at the barrens tomorrow. The rest of the boys ended up going to Mike’s place for a sleepover, even though his farm was on the other side of town. None of them really minded, Mike’s place was the biggest and they always had a good time there.

 

The boys discarded their bikes, throwing them on the ground underneath a nearby tree, sans Stan, who took the time to kick down his kickstand and prop up the bike properly, adjusting the bird book in the wire basket attached to the front of his bike so it was sitting sideways, preventing it from falling out.

 

The five of them headed towards the abandoned barn, the one where the chickens used to be held before Mike’s grandfather had built a more complex one with stairs and little compartments. Mike had asked his grandparents if he could use the discarded barn for when his friends came over, and since no one else could find a use for it, the barn was all his.

 

Mike entered first, the others following him inside one by one. They had decorated the place pretty well, making it seem more like a home than just a place with a roof to go over their heads. Mike’s grandfather had a few people whom he hired help him out on the farm, and in their spare time they had helped Mike and the boys decorate the old barn. On one side of the barn were three sets of bunk beds, each one with a designated pair. The one all the way to the left was Ben and Mike’s, the one in the middle was Stan and Bill’s, and the one on the right, in the corner, was Richie’s.

 

Just a bit away from the beds was the “lounging area”, where the boys had a recliner Mike had taken from the living room, two old couches, and a few beanbags (which were nowhere to be found, for some reason thanks to Richie) placed around a television. Next to the tv, they had a bookshelf full of movies, tape after tape stacked up in order of the date they were released (courtesy of Stan) for their movie nights. There were Christmas lights hung up around the perimeter of the barn, and a bunch that freely hung from the middle of the ceiling.

 

Mike closed the door of the barn once everyone was inside. Ben, Bill and Stan made their way to the couches, Ben and Stan sitting on one as Bill sat on the other, promising he’d sit with Richie “loudest-chip-chewer-in-the-world” Tozier this time. Mike took his spot in the recliner, as it was the closest to the chest of snacks they kept and they didn’t trust Richie to sit over there. Richie flung himself on the couch next to Bill, smiling lazily at the group.

 

“So, Nightmare on Elm Street tonight?”

 

* * *

 

It was eight thirty-two in the morning, and the smell of eggs cooking and the sound of pancakes being flipped could be heard throughout the Denbrough household. Mr. Denbrough was stood at the stove cooking while Mrs. Denbrough was finishing her makeup upstairs in her bedroom. Bill was sat at the circular kitchen table, eating his syrup-drenched pancake squares with a fork and listening to the morning cartoons playing on the television in the living room.

 

Mrs. Denbrough came downstairs, thanking her husband for the cup of coffee already finished and sat at the kitchen table. She greeted Bill as she sat down next to him, on his left as usual. Mr. Denbrough shoveled some eggs onto her plate as well as his own and the three continued to eat.

 

“Bill, where’s your brother?” His mother picked up a piece of her egg and put it in her mouth, punctuating her sentence.

 

“He’s p-probably still asleep.” Bill took a sip from his glass of chocolate milk, a burst of pride striking him when both he and his mother realized he had only stuttered once.

 

His father, meanwhile, was scraping off the little bits of food on his plate off and into the garbage. He placed his dishes in the sink before pressing a kiss to the top of Bill’s head and shrugged on his coat. Bill zoned out as his parents talked about when they’d be home and what they wanted for dinner, the usual conversation they had every morning.

 

His father closed the door as his mother put her own plate into the sink, telling Bill that she’s be back at five, there’s leftovers in the fridge for lunch, if he wants to go out, there’s a twenty by the front door, and that Georgie should be up by ten o’clock the latest. It was the same thing every morning, yet Bill let his mother repeat herself everyday. It was a kind of thing that was just followed as a routine, no thought ever really put into it. Today though, she told him where the extra money was kept, the emergency phone numbers, and what to get or make for each day. His parents were going on a business trip for the whole week for god knows what. Bill said goodbye to his mother as he scrubbed and cleaned the dishes from that morning, another thing that just happened to be a routine.

 

Turning off the faucet, Bill walked into the living room and turned up the television volume. He had left Mike’s at around seven that morning, knowing that he had to watch Georgie today, since neither of the boys had school. It was eight forty-seven, and although his mom said ten the latest, Bill was bored, so he decided he’d wake Georgie up a little bit earlier.

 

Getting up off the sofa, Bill walked up the stairs to the second floor, stopping in front of his brother’s bedroom door. He knocked twice, then once, then three times: a special knock between the two so they both knew that the other was there. When he got no response, as usual if he were to be woken up at this time, Bill turned the doorknob, but when he pushed open the door, he was met with a precisely made bed that looked as if it hadn’t been slept in all night.

 

Bill cocked his head to the side. He walked into the room, but there was no sign of life at all. Bill walked into the hallway, making his way over towards the bathroom door, but it was wide open and no one was in there either.

  


“Georgie?” Bill walked through the whole upper level of his house, but he found no one there. The older Denbrough made his way downstairs, but there was no one there either. Bill went into the basement, but only found a circular table with dungeons and dragons pieces littering it’s surface and the floor.

 

“What the h-hell,” Bill closed the basement door, walking over to the home phone. He recalled his mother speaking, saying something about how she’d be in her office until about nine-thirty if he needed anything after she left.

 

Bill entered his mother’s work phone number with the spin dial, twisting the cord around his index finger.

 

“Hello?” Bill sighed in relief at the sound of his mother’s voice.

 

“H-hey mom,”

 

“Oh hey sweetie! What’s up?”

 

“Um… di-did Guh-Guh-Georgie g-go to a f-friend’s house yuh-yesterday, by chance?” Bill cursed himself mentally, his mother would definitely know something was up if he kept stuttering that much.

 

“Yeah, he went to Dustin’s. Why? Is he not home? I told him he had to come back home-” Bill sighed with relief, maybe his brother just stayed at Dustin’s and didn’t say anything.

 

“N-no mom, he’s home. I j-ju-just didn’t s-see any dessert dish-shes in the s-sink.”

 

His mother sighed in relief on the other side of the line, “Alright good. I’ve got to get going now sweetie. I’ll see you on Sunday. I love you!”

 

“Lu-love you too, m-mom.” But he was already cut off, his mom ending the call before he could say he loved her. Bill walked over to the fridge, checking the list to see if Dustin’s home phone was listed on the “Important Phone Numbers” list that was taped to the fridge. Thankfully, their phone number was written in Mrs. Denbrough’s fancy cursive handwriting, and Bill called their home phone.

 

“Hello?”

 

“H-hi, Mrs. Henderson. It’s Buh-Bill.”

 

“Oh, good morning honey! Is there something you needed?”

 

“I was j-just wondering I-I-if Georgie w-was still th-there?”

 

“No, he left sometime around nine o’clock. Why? Is he not home?”

 

“Oh, um, I th-th-thought my mom h-had w-woken him up b-before sh-she left, but she di-didn’t. That’s all. Th-thank you, Mrs. Henderson.”

 

“Oh alright! It’s not problem. If there’s anything you need, just give us a call, alright?”

 

“A-alright. Thank you, Mrs. Henderson.”

 

“No problem. Now, have a good day, Bill!”

 

“Y-you too, Mrs. Henderson.”

 

Bill hung up the phone eyes wide and heart thumping. _Where the hell was Georgie?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit: Oh my gosh?! I am SO overwhelmed with all of the attention this is getting! Thank you all so incredibly much? I know compared to a lot of other stories on here, the views and kudos I've gotten aren't that many, but to me, even one kudos means the world. So to currently have around 70, I'm immensely happy and I couldn't ask for more. I have chapters 3 and 4 already written, but I'm going to stick to my updating schedule just in case I fall behind later. Thank you all so so much, and what (read: who) most of you have been waiting for may or may not be introduced soon!
> 
> Thank you all so much, once again. Love you all!


	3. A Kid and the Rain

Bill picked the phone up and off of the receiver, the yellow cord connected to the device still snugly wrapped around the boy’s finger. 

 

“Hey, Richie? Y-yeah um, g-g-get the boys. Meet me at the b-b-b-barrens in twenty. N-no questions. Ju-just come.”

 

Bill slammed the phone down onto the receiver, muttering curses under his breath as he ran up to his bedroom to change into clean clothes. 

 

* * *

 

“What the hell? He wants us here at a certain time, and doesn’t even show up?” Bev was sitting in a patch of grass, the others in a circle nearby. Stan turns around, making eye contact with the redhead. 

 

“That’s the thing, Bill is  _ never _ late. There has only been one time where Bill was the last to arrive, and it was because of a death in the family. It has to be serious if he isn’t here.” Bev nodded, looking back out at the street. 

 

The whizzing of rubber on gravel caught everyone’s attention, eyes darting to see Bill pedaling Silver, his bike, as fast as possible. The boy screeched to a halt in front of the group, panting heavily and tears threatening to spill. Stan stood, Mike following suit as the others sat and stared at a sight they never thought they would ever see. William Denbrough had been crying. 

 

“Bill,” Ben stood then, making his way over to the boy perched on his bike, fists gripping the handlebars so tight that his knuckles had turned white. “What happened?” Mike walked up behind Ben, the whole group sharing a worried expression. 

 

“It’s Georgie. He’s missing.” Bev snorted from her spot on the ground, eyeing the group. 

 

“You can’t be serious. We came here because your  _ brother _ went missing. Derry is small as shit, he can’t be far.” Ben and Mike nodded, obviously not thrilled with Beverly’s choice of words, but agreeing with her reasoning nonetheless. 

 

Bill shook his head, taking in a deep breath before clambering off of his bike. “Georgie… Georgie isn’t one to run away. I should know, I’ve lived with the kid my whole entire life. He, he… not  _ once  _ has he ever come home late or after curfew or, or disobeyed rules. Georgie is missing, and he’s nowhere in my house. Even if he did run away, he’s  _ eight  _ for god's sake!  _ Eight! _ I don’t know where he is, but I am going to find him, whether you all want to help me or not.” 

 

The group stared wide eyed at Bill, each looking guilty and/or shocked. Bill grabbed his bike, which he had let fall to the ground in the middle of his spiel, and threw his leg over the seat, climbing on and ringing the small bell on the handlebars once. 

 

“Wow,” Bev looked over at Richie who seemed almost unaware that he himself had spoken. Stan nudged him with his shoulder, eyes expectant for him to continue. “He didn’t even stutter once.” Richie walked away, grabbing his bike and slowly riding up to stand next to Bill. Stan quickly followed, the other three looking at each other before they too, grabbed their bikes from off of the ground and pedaled away towards Bill’s house. 

 

* * *

 

“Wait, wait, wait. So tell us one more time, what happened. Slower this time.” Mike sat on the edge of the cushion of the couch, Ben and Stan doing the same as Richie and Beverly lay on the floor, eyes just as bright with curiosity as the other three. Bill remained in his position, fiddling with his fingers and eyes remaining on the stain of red wine engraved into the living room carpet. 

 

“I… I g-g-got h-ho-home fro-from Mike’s thi-this-s m-mor-morn-m,” Bill stomped his foot lightly, clenching his hands together even tighter. 

 

“You got home from Mike’s this morning, and,” Stan stood up, making his way to stand behind the La-Z-Boy Bill sat in, his hands laying on the top of the chair. He had always acted as Bill’s guide. Whenever words got too tough for the poor boy, Stan was always first to step in and try to help. 

 

Bill nodded gratefully, taking deep breaths before continuing. “A-and I w-w-w-went to wake u-up Guh-Georgie, b-but he was… he wasn’t in h-hi-hi-his r-ro-r-room,” Bill’s eyes fluttered shut as he tried to get the words out, but nothing would help. He just looked up at Stan helplessly, trying to plead with him and hope he understood where he was trying to get to. 

 

Stan blew away a few locks of Bill’s auburn hair that fell into his face before continuing for the boy. 

 

“You went to go wake up Georgie, but he wasn’t there. Didn’t you say he was at the Hendersons last night? Maybe he stayed over?” Bill shook his head, turning his head back down to look at his intertwined fingers. 

 

“I… I c-c-called.” Bill swallowed, trying to get rid of the large lump in his throat, but he just shivered with nerves instead.

 

“Would you maybe want to check the woods? I know it’s not too great of weather,” they all turned to look out the window of Bill’s house, eyeing the rain pouring outside. Richie muttered something along the lines of “why the fuck is it raining in the end of June?” as the others focused their attention back on Stan, “but it’s worth a shot. You know, go and try to find Georgie?” Bill nodded, turning back to the other four in the room. 

 

“Y-you in?”

 

“HELL YEAH!” Richie bounced from his spot on the floor, earning a kick in the shin from Beverly. “Ow! Jesus fuck!” 

 

The six of them stood from their positions, stretching out their limbs before walking out the front door and off into the woods behind Bill’s backyard. 

 

* * *

 

“Maybe this isn’t such a good idea,” Ben stood behind the other five, fiddling with the flashlight in his hand, the only group member still remaining next to the pile of discarded bikes. 

 

“Why not, Ben?” Bill spun around, pointing his flashlight at the ground as to not blind the boy as he faced him, “m-m-my brother i-is out here, out h-here somewhere and n-no one can just expect me tuh-to sit around li-like nothing happened. I’m l-looking for my brother, I thought you s-said you wanted t-to help.” Ben backed up, glancing down at his shoes, a red blush sported brightly amongst his cheeks.

 

Beverly stepped over to Ben, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as Mike looked over at Bill.

 

“Cool down a bit, Bill. I know you want to find Georgie, and you sure do know we all want to help you, but that doesn’t mean-”

 

“I-I know. I’m s-sorry, Ben.” Ben nodded at Bill, a smile gracing his lips.

 

“It’s no biggie,” and the losers embarked on their mission.

 

Bill took a few tentative steps into the woods before waving his flashlight to the left, then to the right, and walked through the trees with a walk of determination. The others followed not too far behind, looking left to right, shining their flashlights and searching for any sign of the missing boy. 

 

“Do you think that there are such things as aliens, but they’re like, invisible? They could be next to us right now, and we wouldn’t even know!” Richie waved his flashlight around in boredom, tossing it from one hand to the other, trying to see how fast he could do so without dropping it.

 

“Richie, shut the fuck up.” Stan grabbed Richie’s hand, steadying the flashlight before continuing to walk seemingly nowhere.

 

“I’m just sayin-”

 

“No. Shut your fucking mouth, asshole.” Stan whacked the raven-haired boy in the forearm with his flashlight, effectively shutting the boy up for around five seconds before he started talking again.

 

“Bev, my dear, what do you think? They could be-”

 

“RICHIE, STOP FUCKING TALKING I SWEAR TO GOD!”

 

“Richie, listen to Stan,” Bev quipped from behind the two boys, “I’m tired of the bickering already.”

 

“Wait what are we talking about?” Ben turned around, looking at the three behind him in confusion.

 

“Well-” Richie started, just to be kicked in the shin by the curly haired boy next to him.

 

“Richie, do not answer that fucking question!”

 

“He asked!” Richie turned his head to look at the boy on his left, leaning towards him as he spoke.

 

“He _ asked!”  _ Stan mimicked, his voice going up a few octaves as he faced Richie, arching his back with his arms flailing at his sides. 

 

“I could be right though! There could be so-”

 

“Guys, sh-shut up,” Bill put a hand up, slowly but frantically looking side to side, taking tentative steps deeper into the woods.

 

Richie looking incredulously at Bill, eyebrows shooting up before he faced his original audience. “But come on, I’m just saying, ther-”

 

“S-seriously, _shut_ _up_ ,” Bill stopped, turning around in a circle, leaning forward and peering into the trees, “do you guys hear that?”

 

The others followed suit, the bright lights of their flashlights making the tree’s shine as the light reflected off of the raindrops. A rustling noise spurred out from behind them, the group jumping at the sudden noise before confronting whatever it was. 

 

Bill stood in front, Richie and Stan stood behind him as Mike and Ben cowered in the back. And face to face they were with a scrawny teen their age, clad in only a large yellow t-shirt that hit the boy’s knees, and wide, brown doe eyes staring right back at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god? The attention this is getting? I'm in love? Thank you all so much! It means a lot. I don't really respond to comments but I promise I read them all! Thank you all so damn much :)


	4. Pancakes and a New Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updates may be slower! I've fallen behind in writing this and I really need to catch up with writing this! Don't worry, though, I will continue this! Enjoy chapter 4!

The losers were stood in Bill’s living room, all six surrounding the front of the couch where the small boy resided, back straight and Mike’s coat draped around his shoulders. 

 

“I-is there a n-number we can c-call? F-for you’re p-parents?” Bill crouched in front of the small boy, not too close to make him uncomfortable, but on an eye to eye level so it didn’t feel like they were interrogating the poor boy.

 

The boy stayed silent, doe-like eyes wide and frightened, staring back into Bill’s own. Bill looked back at the other five before turning back to the mysterious boy they had found in the woods. 

 

“A-are you in some s-s-sort of trouble?” Bill cocked his head to the side, standing back up with the other losers. 

 

“Is that blood?” Stan leaned forward to get a good look at the red smudge on the collar of the extra large t-shirt he was wearing before Bill put his arm up against Stan’s chest.

 

“Stop it, yo-you’re freaking him out!” Bill looked back at Stan, eyebrows raised.

 

“He’s freaking me out!” Stan raised his two hands as a sign of surrender. 

 

“I bet he’s deaf,” Richie leaned towards the boy, clapping his hands together loudly in front of the other boy’s slender face, causing the latter to flinch back into the couch cushions, “nope. Not deaf.”

 

“What the fuck, Richard?” Beverly cast a glance at the boy, right eyebrow raised and confusion written all over her face. She took a seat on the couch next to the boy, slowly putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder, the movement cautious as if to not scare him away. 

 

“He’s just scared, and cold. Would you guys want to be left out in the rain all night?” Beverly looked at the group of boys in front of her, watching as they all shook their heads. “Bill, do you have any spare clothes that won’t slip right off the poor boy?” Bill nodded, clamoring up the stairs with Stan and Mike in tow. 

 

Ben took a seat on the other side of the couch, curious about the boy sitting next to him, but he felt rude asking him any personal questions when he had just met him.

 

Richie walked into the fridge, coming back with three cans of coke and one glass of water. Richie handed the water to Ben, laying two of the cans down on the coffee table in front of the couch as he cracked his open with a satisfying sizzle. 

 

Beverly picked up her own can, throwing her head back and taking a swig of the carbonated goodness. She picked up the remaining can, handing it to the small boy next to her. “You want it?” 

The boy shook his head, fear etched on his face as he curled his legs up, hugging them tightly against his chest. Richie’s eyes widened, taking the can and shoving it under the table along with the one he was drinking out of just seconds ago. 

 

“It’s all good, dude. We’ll just, we can just put ‘em away. Right, Bev?” Beverly looked at the boy, head tilted to the side before she caught on to what he was saying and placed her can of Coca-Cola on the rug of Bill’s living room as well. 

 

Bill, Mike, and Stan re-entered the living room, the former with a pair of sweatpants that he had outgrown around the middle of the school year and one of his old baseball tees in his hands. Bill eyed the cans on the ground, disregarding it and decided he’d ask them what that was about later. 

 

“H-here, clean clothes. Y-y-you won’t be as cold in th-these.” Bill placed the pile of clothing next to the boy as Bev and Ben got up from their places on the couch as to not crowd the boy. 

 

The small boy looked at the group of six cautiously before standing up off the couch and reaching for the bottom of his shirt.

 

“Holy SHIT!” Beverly gaped, not meaning to sound rude, but it came out of her mouth anyway, as Stan muttered “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god” about three times. 

 

Bill placed a gentle hand on the boy’s forearm, stopping him quickly and pointed across the hall to a small room with a door wide open. 

 

“See there? Th-th-that’s the bathroom, privacy.” He grabbed the hand of the other boy, leading him towards the small room as the others watched in shock from their positions around the couch. 

 

Bill motioned for the boy to enter the small room, flicking the light on before grabbing the door handle and pulling it shut. The small boy snuck his thin fingers in between the door and it’s frame, stopping Bill from closing it any farther.

 

“You don’t w-want it closed?” Bill squinted at the boy, a telltale sign of confusion, but the small boy just shook his head lightly. “Oh-okay, w-well um… h-how about,” Bill pulled the door towards him more until there was only a tiny sliver in between the door and the doorframe, “here?” The boy nodded and Bill retreated back to the other losers. 

 

“What the fuck just happened?” Beverly looked at the others, who each just shrugged, sans Richie, whose attention was stolen by the bathroom door that the small boy they had found in the woods was on the other side of. 

 

“Y-yeah and wh-why are there c-cans of Coca-Cola on m-my carpet?” Bill looked at Beverly as he spoke, eyebrows both knitted together and raised. 

 

“We were gonna have some, but the shit freaked the kid out so we didn’t.” The group conversed lightly, exchanging opinions on the situation at hand and arguing about what the hell they were going to do with this mysterious boy that had shown up in the middle of their search for Georgie. 

 

Richie vaguely listened to the conversation, sitting down on the brown leather couch and staring at nothing in particular. He knew almost nothing about this kid, but what he did know was that he would be a fundamental character in the lives of the losers club. 

 

He watched as the losers slowly but surely made their way out of the Denbrough household one by one, until Stan called out a “you need a ride, Trashmouth, or what?” and got up from the couch, taking one last look at the bathroom door before saluting farewell to Bill and following Stan out the front door. 

 

* * *

 

“This is m-my little br-brother Georgie's room,” Bill gestured inside, letting the boy enter the small bedroom, “I bet h-he wouldn’t m-m-mind if you s-slept here.”

 

The scrawny boy wandered around the bedroom, eyes wider than usual as he watched the twinkling of small Christmas lights decorating the perimeter of the ceiling. He walked over to a bookshelf in the room, admiring the pictures that were propped up in frames. 

 

Bill pointed to the hallway and cleared his throat to catch the boy’s attention. “I w-will be sleeping in m-my room across th-the hall if you n-need me. I’ll l-leave the duh-door open.” Bill waited for a response and was satisfied with the short but gentle nod the boy gave him before he bid the newcomer goodnight and entered his own bedroom. Slipping under the covers, Bill flicked off the lamp on his bedside table, laying down on the recently fluffed pillow beneath him as his dreams carried him off into a peaceful sleep.

 

\------

 

Alarm blaring in his ears, Bill groaned as he turned over onto his side, slapping his alarm clock lazily, desperate to make the obnoxious noise come to an end. 

 

He pressed the heel of his palms against his closed eyelids, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and preparing himself for the day. He had a plan. Today would be spent making sure the newcomer was comfortable, and tomorrow he would be back outside with his friends to look for his missing brother. Yes, Bill was aware that Stan and Mike were wary about the idea of having a complete stranger be adapted into their group, but Bill felt a certain pull towards the small boy that he couldn’t resist.

 

It was something like love. Not the kind of romantic love he knew Ben had for Beverly or Mike had with his girlfriend Samantha. No, it was a different kind of love, one where he felt protective of the boy like he belonged with the losers. He felt the kind of love rush through his veins that he feels when he’s with Georgie, the kind of brotherly love where you want to protect this person and adapt them into your life. 

 

Bill stretched his arms up over his head, letting out a silent yawn before throwing his legs over the side of his bed, bare feet coming in contact with the coldness of the hardwood floor beneath him. 

 

Walking over to his mirror, he shrugged at his own reflection, not bothering to fix the messiness of his hair. He headed downstairs, passing the living room and entering the kitchen where he found the small kid who they’d yet to find out his name sitting at the kitchen table, looking out the window in wonder at the birds fluttering around the backyard. 

 

Bill cleared his throat, startling the other boy, wide chocolate brown eyes growing wide. “S-sorry. Are you h-hungry?” The kid looked down at his hands that were folded together on the kitchen table before nodding in response. “Do y-you want pancakes?” 

 

The boy’s brown eyes lifted from the table as the boy cocked his head. “Pan-cakes?” 

 

“O-oh! So y-you can speak! Oh-okay. Well, puh-pancakes are a breakfast f-food.” At the mention of breakfast, the boy’s eyebrows just raised in question, prompting Bill to continue. “Breakfast is a m-meal of th-the day. You e-eat food th-three times a day, the f-first time is c-called breakfast.” The boy nodded, comprehending the knowledge he had just been given. 

 

Bill reached up on the tips of his toes, reaching for the box of pancake mix he remembered seeing yesterday. His fingers grazed the box, a smile forming on his lips as he grasped it and pulled it out f the cabinet. 

 

“Now, you ready t-to make s-s-some pancakes?” 

 

* * *

 

It was a pleasant Sunday morning, the birds were chirping and the static sound of the television emitted from the living room. The two boys were sat at Bill’s kitchen table, sitting across from each other as they shoveled the pancakes into their mouths.

 

Bill laughed in amusement as he watched the boy across from him drench his pancakes in a sea of syrup. The boy sighed contently, flicking the top of the syrup bottle shut with a satisfying snap before picking up his fork and digging into the meal. 

 

The two ate in silence, but it wasn’t stilled or awkward, it was pleasant, peaceful. It helped Bill forget about Georgie for a few minutes and enjoy the bliss of the rising sun. 

 

“So,” Bill started, chewing the rest of his mouthful before continuing, “th-th-the others are coming over later. You know, the p-p-people who were here yesterd-day.”

 

The boy across from him nodded in confirmation, taking a sip of water from the cup Bill had poured for him.

 

They continued to eat in silence until Bill choked on the forkful he was eating, setting the utensil down before slapping his palms onto the table.

 

“Oh my god! I n-never introduced mys-s-self!” Bill laughed at his own forgetfulness, he had just let this stranger sleep in his own home and lent the boy his old clothing and hadn’t even considered to tell the boy his own name. “Well, my n-name is Bill, and it is a pleasure to f-formally meet you.”

 

The other boy eyed the hand Bill outstretched before tentatively putting his own hand against the one in front of him. 

 

“Bill.” The boy repeated, causing a blinding smile to appear on the auburn-haired boy. 

 

“S-so you can t-talk. Cool.” Bill picked up his own cup of water, taking a swig as the blissful silence took its course once again, the only noises circulating through the house were the birds chirping, the television playing cartoon reruns in the next room over, and the scraping of metal forks on porcelain plates. 

 

The content atmosphere was quickly interrupted when the front door was kicked open to reveal none other than the losers club. 

 

“Whaddup fuckers!” Richie skipped into the kitchen, head whipping over to the counter, eyeing the remaining pancakes that resided on a large platter. “BILLIAM, YOU MADE US PANCAKES?!” The boy ran over, grabbing himself a plate and piling at least five onto his dish. He walked over to the table, plopping himself down in the seat right next to the nameless boy, leaning over and resting his head on the other boy’s shoulder. 

 

“Richie, stop bothering the poor thing.” Beverly grabbed her own plate of pancakes, as did the other losers, and took a seat on the other side of the boy. “How’d you sleep, bud?”

 

The brown-eyed boy breathed in deeply, eyeing Bill before answering with a small “good”.

 

Beverly beamed at the boy, nose scrunching in glee. “So the kid can talk. Nice.” The rest of the losers sat around the table as well, Ben in between Beverly and Bill, Stan on the opposite side of Bill and Mike in between Richie and Stan. They ate the remaining pancakes as they idly chatted about nothing and everything, Richie’s head still placed on the other boy’s shoulder.

 

* * *

 

“So, do you have a name?” The group was sat in a circle, each of their eyes focused on the new boy, who was hesitantly looking around the circle at each of their faces, examining them with caution. When he deemed that this group of people were trustworthy, he stretched out his arm, the inside of his wrist facing up as he rolled up the sleeve of Bill’s old baseball tee, showing off the little tattooed number that resided on his skin. 

 

“Holy fuck!” Richie went to grab the boy’s arm, but the latter quickly retreated, cradling his arm against his chest. “Sorry, I’ve just never seen a kid with a tattoo before.”

 

“Is that real?” Stan cocked his head to the side, he wasn’t as uncomfortable with the kid as he had been last night. On the way home, Richie had talked about what peaked his curiosity when it came to this new boy in their lives and Stan couldn’t help but agree that there was some unknown force pulling him towards this frail kid.

 

The boy nodded in response to Stan’s question, causing the others to gawk. 

 

“That’s fucking cool, man.” Beverly patted the boy on the shoulder, smiling at him.

 

“Eleven, what does that mean?” Mike piped up from his seat, pure interest oozing in his voice. 

 

The boy pointed to his chest twice, nodding his head once.

 

“That-that’s your n-name?” Bill asked, and the boy nodded once again. “A-alright then. Well, m-m-my name’s Bill, as you kn-know. Thi-this is Stan, B-B-Ben, Ruh-Richie, Beverly, and M-Mike.” He pointed to each loser as he introduced them to the new boy. “M-m-maybe we can call y-you, I d-don’t know, s-something that’s sh-short for Eleven.”

 

“Elliot?” Beverly tilted her head to the side as she looked at the new boy. 

 

“Ew, no. What the fuck, Bev?” Richie quipped, scrunching his face in disgust. “Does this,” he waved his hands in front of the boy’s sitting position, “look like an Elliot to you?”

 

“How about Eddie,” the group turned to face Ben as he suddenly spoke, “short for Eleven.” He glanced over at Richie in question, wondering if his name choice was a good one.

 

“Now that’s what I’m talkin' about!” Richie threw an arm around the boy next to him, pinching his cheek only for his hand to be swatted away by the latter.

 

“Welcome to The Losers Club, Eddie.” Stan smiled, facing their newest member as he spoke.  

 

“A toast to our wittle Eddie Spaghetti!” Richie grabbed the cup of water Ben was about to take a sip of, pushing his hand in the air as he swayed side to side, arm still draped around Eddie’s shoulders. 

 

Eddie’s eyebrows knitted together at the nickname, a pure look of disgust on his face.

 

Beverly cackled, throwing her head back in laughter as she cried out, “Looks like Stan won’t be the only one who wants to kill Richie anymore!” The others laughed together, their cheers and giggles molding into one as they sat in Bill’s living room together, truly happy with their newest member of The Losers Club.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THIS IS GETTING SO MUCH LOVE? I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT? THANK YOU ALL! I don't really respond to comments, but I promise I read them! I read them ALL and I appreciate them all! Thank you guys so much for reading my work.


	5. The Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie has a dream.

“Buh-Bye, Richie,” Bill smiled an almost sickeningly, way too sweet smile at the boy as he pushed him out of his house and through the door. Richie screamed a string of curse words at the boy, laughing as he did so.

 

“Farewell Eddie, my love!” Richie screamed behind his shoulder, wiggling his eyes at the boy as he did so. Eddie rolled his eyes, a small, barely noticeable smile painted on his rosey lips. Richie smiled back before holding up his hands to surrender from Bill’s push, letting himself out and closing the door with a dramatically harsh force. 

 

Bill rolled his eyes, peeking out the window to make sure the losers had all left his house before walking over to the couch and sitting down next to Eddie. He looked over at the smaller boy, smiling at his starstruck expression.

 

“Wh-What’s got you s-s-so happy?” Bill laughed lightly as Eddie jumped in his seat, whipping his head around to come face to face with Bill, eyes wide.

 

“Friends. Nice.” Bill nodded, smiling at Eddie’s use of the word he first taught him. Bill thought the word was important. He deemed it more meaningful than the taxes and workdays his parents always talked about. The thought of his parents made him shiver. What if they came home and they still hadn’t found Georgie? Would they be so mad, they’d shut out Bill more than they already did? Would they shut him out completely?  Bill shook the thought out of his head, opting to smile at the boy next to him instead.

 

“Y-yeah. They are pretty g-great, aren’t they.” Eddie was smiling now as well, as once again, a peaceful silence took its course. “Y-y-you tired?” 

 

The brown eyed boy nodded, fiddling with his fingers in his lap and turning his body to properly face his friend. Bill nodded as well, getting up and offering the other a hand to help him stand as well.

 

Eddie gratefully took it, a bit of hesitation in the action, but eventually his grip turned firm in the other boy’s grasp. They walked up the steps, retreating back to the bedrooms. Bill bid Eddie goodnight, walking into his room and flicking the light on, leaving the door open just in case Eddie needed to come in for something. 

 

Eddie headed towards Georgie’s room, slipping inside and closing the door behind him, just like Bill had done the night before. He had heard the name Georgie thrown around in conversation here and there, but he still didn’t know exactly who this boy was or why they were talking about him so much. 

 

Eddie decided he would think about it tomorrow, falling asleep to the hum of the record player Bill was playing the next room over. He fell asleep with a content smile, his body not rigid for the first time in years. 

 

* * *

 

His eyes flew open, eyelashes fluttering as his pupils adjusted to the dark. Eddie looked down at his feet, the thin white socks adorning them becoming soaked in the few inches of water splashing around his ankles. The boy’s eyes widened even more, he knew exactly where he was. Well, not exactly. This place didn’t have a name, he just called it The Dark Place. Eddie cringed remembering the times where his mother would sit him down, turning the radio to some random station, the static noise filling his ears as a black cloth would be tied around his eyes, forbidding him from seeing the world around him.

 

He breathed heavily, in and out, before looking around once again. Eddie squinted, even though there was nothing blocking his sight when suddenly there was a flash of a yellow raincoat and a large figure coming behind it. 

 

He cocked his head in confusion, closing his eyes even more to try and see the figure, but it had vanished as quickly as it had came.

 

Eddie took a few steps forward, but stopped as his body became stiff, aware that there was now something behind him. He slowly turned his head to look behind him, only to find a small boy around the age of eight or nine, smiling at him, the yellow raincoat he wore being the most prominent feature.

 

The boy’s brown hair flopped down in front of his face, but he could still see the brown eyes the boy had. The kid smiled up at him, giggling softly at Eddie’s face of bewilderment. 

 

“Come on!” The kid waved his hand, turning on his heel and skipping away from Eddie. The latter quickly followed, his slow and steady steps turning into a jog as he struggled to keep up with the boy. The suddenly came to a stop, causing Eddie to trip over his own feet in surprise. After he regained balance, he took a sharp breath in at the boy’s sudden stone-cold expression.

 

“If you come with me-”

 

Eddie sat up in the bed, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead and into his eyes as he panted, the large gusts of wind making his throat go raw. 

 

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion,  _ what the hell just happened? _

 

Eddie looked around the small room he was staying in, looking at the clock that read 10:16. He didn’t know what that meant, but the numbers were a lot different than the ones he saw when he woke up the day before. 

 

Eddie’s nose scrunched up in concentration, trying to remember what the small kid had said in the very end of his dream.

 

_ You’ll float too _

 

The short phrase startled him, but as he said the three words in his head once or twice more, he knew it meant something, anything but good. 

 

Eddie’s feet came in contact with the hardwood floor as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, socks suddenly dry, just like they were when he had fell asleep the night before. He looked around the room, albeit still a bit frazzled from the dream. 

 

Throwing the duvet off of his lap, Eddie stood, stretching out his arms and his toes before making his way towards the bedroom door. His hand was on the doorknob when he started to hear voices coming from downstairs, the loudest being who he already could tell was Richie.

 

Eddie opened the door, letting the cool gust of wind wash over him before he made his way downstairs with the others. He examined the pictures that lined the wall. There weren’t any people in any of them, they were just designs and patterns that went well with the colors of the furniture and walls. He jumped in his place when he felt the featherlight pressure of a hand on his shoulder, turning only to come face to face with Stan. 

 

The sandy haired boy smiled at him, the gesture wasn’t big, but it was enough to make Eddie feel warm and fuzzy inside. Friendship, that was the word Bill had taught him. He liked the word. He knew it pertained to Stan, as well as the rest of the crew who call themselves The Losers. 

 

“You want to come down and hang out with us?” Stan tilted his head to the side as he asked, earning a nod from the other boy. He took his first two fingers off of the picture he was examining and followed Stanley back down the stairs and into the living room. 

 

Richie heard them come in first, turning around and expecting to just see Stan, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he wasn’t alone and that Eddie was right at his side. 

 

“Eds, ma boy! Where’ve ya been?!” Richie sported a wide grin, showing off his crooked front teeth and making the skin near his eyes crinkle. Eddie’s nose scrunched up in disgust, causing Mike to let out a loud laugh.

 

“I like this kid,” Mike smiled, patting his hand down on the carpet, motioning for the boy to sit in the open spot between him and Richie. Eddie glanced over at Stan before making his way towards Mike and taking a seat in between the two boys.

 

“We were just talking about our plan to find Georgie,” Beverly looked over at the small boy, barely shorter than he herself. His eyebrow twitched in confusion, he remembered hearing the name, but he didn’t know who the boy even was.

 

“H-h-he’s my little bruh-brother. He went missing t-t-two days ago. We where l-looking for him in th-th-the woods that one d-d-day,” Bill explained, hands wavering in the air as he spoke. Eddie nodded twice before the rest of the group turned their attention back towards the conversation at hand. Eddie watched as they spoke, feeling a light jab to the side of his stomach. The boy turned his head to the right, cocking his head to the side at the raven haired boy beside him.

 

Richie smiled another one of his toothy grins before reaching behind him to grab a small, rectangular box. The box was a vibrant yellow, words written on it in bubble-shaped letters, the font big and blue. 

 

“Hold out your hand.” Eddie did as he was told, cupping his hands together and reaching out towards the other. Richie dumped the contents of the box into the Eddie’s cupped hands, grabbing one of the candies that fell out. “Try one, they’re really good.”

 

Eddie glanced at the chocolate squares in his hands, eying the candy with skepticism, but a glimpse of curiosity was in his shining eyes. He laid them out in one palm, plucking one of them out of the pile before placing it on his tongue. His eyebrow perked up in wonder, taking another lick and then finally a bite of the chocolate candy. 

 

Richie watched, the smile on his face turning into an outstretched grin as he tried not to laugh at the sight before him. Eddie’s eyes grew wide as he started shoveling the food into his mouth, letting out a small sigh in delight as he chewed. 

 

Bill looked over at the two, letting out a huff of breath as he watched his two friends. “Richie, c-c-can you stop giving Eddie charleston ch-chews. He hasn’t even e-eaten breakfast y-y-yet.” Richie groaned in protest, handing the smaller boy two more pieces of chocolate. Eddie jumped in his seat, grabbing at the two like a rabid animal, shoving them into his mouth.

 

Beverly laughed from her spot next to Richie, grabbing one out of the box for herself. Richie smacked her hand, grabbing one more before handing over the rest of the candy to Eddie. 

 

Bill slammed his head on the table in defeat, groaning as Eddie ate more of the provided candy. He grabbed the box from Eddie, eliciting a small whimper from the boy. Richie gasped, grabbing the box before Bill could protest and handing it back to Eddie. Stan raised an eyebrow at the lanky teen across from him, causing the other to raise his hands in defense.

 

“Did you hear him?! He sounded like a wounded animal!” ben nodded in agreement from his spot on the other side of Beverly as the others all came to an agreement to just let Eddie have to box. They went back to their conversation, a few seconds passing by before Richie tapped Eddie on the shoulder.

 

“I promise I’ll bring more next time I come,” Richie smiled at the boy beside him as Eddie squinted his eyes.,

 

“Promise?” 

 

“It means something that you can’t break, ever.” Eddie nodded in understanding, tilting his head down to the floor as he practiced saying the word, muttering it a few times under his breath. Richie smirked at the boy beside him before throwing an arm around Eddie’s shoulders, pulling him into his side and paying attention to the conversation around him.

 

* * *

 

“Why is there a flashlight in your boot?” Stan picked up the item out of the rubber rainboot in Bill’s closet, holding it with the tips of his fingers and holding it up for his friend to see. Bill shrugged, turning back around to look at the pictures on hias bedside table. 

 

The losers were spread out around the house, looking for supplies and equipment to go out into the woods and look for Georgie. Beverly and Ben were in the supply closet two doors down, Mike was piling what they already had into the wire baskets on everyone’s bikes, Richie was stocking up on food in the kitchen, and Bill, Stan and Eddie were all in Eddie’s room, looking around for anything helpful that they could bring. Stan was raiding Bill’s closet as said boy showed Eddie around his bedroom. 

 

Eddie examined each picture, picking some of them up woth care, fingers barely ghosting over the frames in which they were held in. he stopped at a picture, picking it up and holding it close to his face. Bill placed a hand on the shorter boy’s shoulder, peering over him to see the picture as well. 

 

“Oh th-th-that’s Georgie. M-my brother.” Eddie traced the figure in the picture with his first finger, tilting his head to the side as the dust collected on his fingertip. “Y-y-you know him?”

 

Eddie nodded, eyes stilled on the face of the young boy staring back at him. He was the boy from his dream.

 

“You do?” Stan had walked up next to bill at some point during the conversation, a hand on Eddie’s shoulder as he, too, glanced over the smaller boy’s shoulder to see the picture. 

 

“I saw him. In The Dark Place.” Stan and Bill cast each other questioning glances before Stan pointed to the bedroom door and let himself out, going to retrieve the others. 

 

Bill grabbed Eddie’s wrist lightly before leading the other boy to the foot of his bed, both of them sitting down, he picture still in Eddie’s clutch.

 

Bill shakily took the frame out of the boy’s small hands, letting out a breath of relief when the boy didn’t protest.

 

Stan opened the door slowly, the others right behind him. They all sat down in a circle in the middle of the room, each of them looking at each other before all of their eyes were focused on Eddie. 

 

“Y-y-you know my b-b-brother?” Eddie nodded in response to the question, his eyes glaring down at his feet, which were planted firmly on the carpeted floor. “D-do you know wh-where he is?” Eddie nodded once again, everything but his head remained completely still. 

 

“Alright then, so if he knows where Georgie is, then we can go and look for him, right?” Mike stood up, Ben and Beverly following suit in agreement to the statement. Stan remained seated, skeptically looking from Bill to Eddie in a repeating pattern as Richie glanced at Eddie’s fidgeting fingers, eyes squinting in concern.

 

The boy walked over to Eddie as Bill moved out of the way. “Do you know where Georgie is?” Eddie’s mouth stayed shut, his wide eyes looking up at the boy in front of him. Mike looked back at the others, stepping away from the small boy still sat on the foot of the bed. 

 

Bill huffed, walking over and grabbing Eddie’s shoulders. “D-d-do you kn-now where Georgie is?” Eddie was silent once again, just stared at the boy in front of him, his body completely still. Bill shook the boy by his shoulders, he was done with the silence. He just wanted to know if his brother was okay.

 

Richie felt a pang of anger shoot through him, but before he was able to act upon it, Beverly made her way over to the two boys. 

 

“Stop it! You’re scaring the poor boy!” She grabbed Bill’s shoulder, and as she pulled him back, he almost seemed to snap out of a trance. I stuttered out an apology as Stan calmed him down and Richie walked over to take a seat next to Eddie. 

 

Mike shook his head, eying each of his friends in the room. “Answer or not, we are going to look for Georgie. I bailed on my grandparents for this and your brother could be in so much trouble right now.” Mike’s words were harsh, but his tone was gentle, conveying that he wasn’t really angry, probably just tired. 

 

Mike walked over to the door, wrapping a firm hand around the handle as he pulled it open, only to have the doorknob ripped from his grip as the door fell back into its frame. Mike looked at the others before repeating the action once again, but the result stayed the same. 

 

The rest of the group walked over to Mike, each one trying to open the door, but it shut closed every time, a gust of wind hitting their faces with each attempt.

 

Bill grabbed the door, knuckles turning white as he felt the cold metal almost burn his palm. He gripped the handle, yankin the door open only to have it close once again, this time with so much force that the figurines that sat on Bill’s dresser and bedside table jittered, some falling to the ground. Bill let go of the knob quickly like it had burned his skin, watching as the lock on the door twisted, trapping them inside. 

 

“No.”

 

Each one of them turned their heads to look at Eddie, who was now standing, a small stream of blood flowing from his nose. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1,000+ HITS?! OH MY GOSH GUYS! THANK YOU ALL SO SO SO OS MUCH! IT REALLY DOES MEAN A LOT TO ME!


	6. The Tale of the Trashmouth and the Weirdo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is short. I just wanted to get something out since I haven't updated in a long time. So... here this is. I really don't want to abandon this, but school has me SUUUUUPER busy. I'll try as hard as I can to keep this alive, guys.

“What the fuck was that?!” Beverly turned back to see Eddie sat on the floor, his hand wiping away the blood coming from his nose.

 

“HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS AWESOME!” Richie ran over to the bed, jumping onto his knees and grasping the boy’s shoulders in his clenched fists. “DID YOU JUST DO THAT?! WITH YOUR  _ MIND _ ?!” 

 

Eddie looked at the boy from the corners of his eyes before nodding and turning his head to face his fiddling hands. 

 

Mike and Stan looked at each other, eyes wide and hands trembling as they went over what just happened in their minds. They looked over to Ben, silently asking if he had any sort of answer, but the boy just shrugged, eyes wide in shock.

 

Bill walked over to the foot of his bed, taking a seat on the other side of Eddie and putting a hand on the boy’s shoulder.

 

“D-d-d-don’t kid with m-me, Eddie. D-d-did you do th-that?” Bill tilted his head to the side, his eyes trained on the frame of the small boy in front of him. Eddie looked up quickly before nodding and facing back towards his lap. 

 

Bill looked towards the others quickly before getting up and walking towards the door. He motioned for the others to follow, but Richie stayed put, talking to Eddie and waving his hands around manically.

 

Bev raised an eyebrow at Stan, who leaned towards the redhead and whispered, “Let him be. He’ll keep Eddie calm for a while.”

 

Mike took a hold of the doorknob, twisting it and pulling the door open and this time the door didn’t swing back. The group of five shuffled into the hallway before closing the bedroom door once again and turning to face each other in a small huddle. 

 

“Soooo,” Beverly drawled, putting her palm against the wall and putting her weight on her arm, “what the fuck just happened?”

 

Bill shrugged, pushing the door open and watching Richie explain how Eddie was like a superhero. He let out a breathy laugh, closing the door once again and facing the small group. 

 

“Does he have like, a home? He’s a good friend and all but realistically, he can’t be living with you forever, Bill.” Ben looked at said boy, who nodded in response and glanced at his bedroom door. 

 

“W-w-we’ll just a-ask him, it can’t b-b-be that hard,” Bill pushed the door open once again, making his way towards his two friends as the others followed behind quickly.

 

Bill sat next to Eddie once again as everyone else formed a semi-circle in front of the three boys. They all looked from Bill to Eddie and back again, waiting for someone to make the first move. 

 

Mike sat up a bit straighter from where he was sat, clearing his throat before starting. “Do you have any parents of family members that we can call? Are you lost or something?” 

 

Eddie stared at the boy for a while before hesitantly shaking his head. Ben leaned forward, his head tilted to the side.

 

“There’s no one to call?” Eddie shook his head again, the movement more firm than the first. “Do you have a family?” Eddie hesitated at that question. He started to nod but quickly started to shake his head. Stan and Bill shared quizzical glances at each other before turning their attention back to Eddie.

 

“A-a-are you in t-trouble?” Bill placed a feather-light hand on Eddie’s shoulder as he spoke, his eyes soft so the smaller boy felt comfortable with answering the question. Eddie nodded, a solemn gleam in his eyes as they cast downward at his feet. 

 

“Who are you in trouble with?” Ben asked from his seat on the floor next to Mike, his eyebrows raised. 

 

“Bad,” Eddie’s voice was barely more than a whisper, he wouldn’t have been heard if the room wasn’t as eerily silent as it currently was.

 

“Bad?” Stan repeated from his seat, eyebrows raised, “Are you in some sort of danger?” Eddie nodded once again.

 

“What kind of danger?” Beverly asked from her spot on the floor, looking up at the boy with curiosity. 

 

Eddie mimicked the shape of a gun with his fingers, putting his hand up to his temple. He moved his fingers from his own forehead and touched the tips of his first two fingers to the side of Richie’s head, then doing the same from Richie’s head to Beverly’s. Richie inhaled a sharp breath, looking at the small boy who sat beside him.

 

“Understand?” Eddie turned his body to face his entire audience, who all nodded mechanically, questions in their minds and faces frozen in fear.

 

“Wait, wait, wait. Back to the door thing,” Mike put his hands up to prevent anyone from talking as he spoke, “why did you not let us leave?”

 

Eddie stayed silent, his fingers twisting together as he fidgeted. Mike was about to repeat the question when he got cut off because of the ringing of the house phone. Bill stood up, briskly making his way towards the device. He picked the phone up off of the receiver, twisting the cord around his pinky finger. 

 

The six others examined the boy’s face as he spoke on the phone. They couldn’t hear what Bill was saying, but they watched as Bill’s eyes began to widen and he stuttered out a farewell and returned the phone back to its original position.

 

“Shit,” Bill slammed his hand on the wall in frustration before walking back towards his friends. “M-m-my parents are c-coming home early. Th-th-they’ll be here t-tonight.”

 

“What are we gonna do about Georgie?” Stan asked, making his way over to the bed and sitting next to Bill. The boy being questioned shrugged, looking around the room as if that would give him any ideas. 

 

“T-tell them the t-t-truth, i g-guess? They’ll know wh-what to do,” Bill tapped his foot in concentration, humming to himself as he thought. The boy looked over at Eddie, sighing heavily. “The r-real question is wh-what are we guh-gonna say about Eddie?” The boys all shrugged as Beverly was teaching Eddie how to play rock-paper-scissors. 

 

“Let him stay here or with another one of us?” Ben looked at Eddie, a small smile on his lips. “I would offer to take him in, but my mom wouldn’t be able to feed another person.” Bill nodded in understanding, a smile of his own spreading across his face as he looked at the smaller boy. He was fine with keeping the boy a secret. Eddie was now a member of The Losers Club, he couldn’t just tell the boy to leave. He was even growing on Stan now, who was skeptical about having the boy around when he was first taken in. 

 

The room was enveloped in a peaceful silence as the seven of them just sat in peace, enjoying the calm before the guaranteed storm. 

 

Disturbing the quiet, Richie jumped up when he heard mention of Eddie’s whereabouts. “Oh, Oh! I can take Eddie for a while. Stan the Man here helped me stock up the good ol’ Tozier kitchen, so I have enough food to last the two of us for a while,” Richie gripped Eddie’s shoulder as he spoke, eyeing the boy excitedly as he bounced up and down in his spot. 

 

Bill’s smile twitched into a frown before he quickly recovered and smiled even brighter than before. “That w-w-would be great, Ruh-Richie. Thanks,”   
  
“No problemo, Big Bill! Eds and I are gonna have a blast. Ain’t that right, Eddie Spaghetti?” Richie plopped back down next to the small boy who scrunched up his nose in disgust at the nickname. 

 

“Are your parent’s gonna be home, Rich?” Mike asked from his own spot on the floor, eyeing the curly haired boy curiously. 

 

“Nah, but even if they were, they wouldn’t give a fuck,” Richie shrugged, throwing his arms around Eddie’s shoulders as the group conversed over nothing and everything. Sooner or later, Bill had kicked them all out before his parents got home. The losers wished him luck with his parents and the Georgie situation as they bid him farewell and biked to each of their respective houses. 

 

* * *

 

“Welcome, Eddie Spaghetti, to la casa de Tozier!” Richie held the door open for Eddie with an overdramatic sweep of his arm, inviting the other boy in. The shorter boy took a cautious step into the house as his eyes scanned the walls around him. “Y’know Eds, I’ve got some questions for you,” Richie grabbed Eddie’s hand, bringing him upstairs to his bedroom. Eddie silently followed, eyeing his surroundings with intense scrutinizing. “But I won’t ask you now. Who would I be to ruin the wonderful mood right now, right?” Richie didn’t look for an answer, instead he opened his bedroom door and led Eddie inside, their hands still clasped together.

 

Richie collapsed on his bed, letting go of Eddie’s hand as he bounced up and down on the mattress. He pushed his head into the pillow firmly, groaning as his body relaxed against the soft blanket. He picked his head up from the blanket slightly, only his eyes were visible to Eddie, who stood at the foot of the bed, watching in confusion as Richie got comfortable. 

 

“Come pop a squat, Eddie Spaghetti! There’s plenty o’ room!” Richie rolled over onto his back to provide a surface on the bed for the smaller boy to sit down. Eddie took a tentative step closer to Richie before gently sitting down, his eyes never leaving their focus on the interior design of the raven-haired boy’s room. 

 

Richie laughed, grabbing Eddie’s wrist and pulling the boy towards him. The harsh impact caused the boy to flop over on his stomach, but he made no effort to get back up. He rested his cheek on the blanket as he looked at Richie before taking in the new sensation of the fluffy blanket and the soft mattress. 

 

“So, Eds,” Eddie’s nose scrunched at the nickname once again, but he let the boy continue, “wanna play 20 questions? We’ll get to know each other better.”

 

Eddie tilted his head to the side, the action resembling one of a confused puppy. “T-twenty… questions?”

 

Richie sat up, leaning on the heels of his hand as Eddie, too, sat up and said with his legs crossed and eyes focused on the boy in front of him. 

 

“Yeah, we ask each other simple questions just to know each other better!” Richie smiled wide, showing off all of his teeth. Eddie considered the idea before slowly nodding in agreement. Richie’s smile grew wider as he adjusted himself to get more comfortable. 

 

Eddie shifted over so he was sat across from the boy, his hands resting lightly on his knees. 

 

“Alrighty then, Eddie… What’s your favorite color?” Richie leaned forward as he spoke, his head tilted to the side as he smiled at the boy. 

 

Eddie’s eyebrow raised as he took a look around the room, trying to find inspiration. He remembered when his mother had taught him colors. Eddie had always loved colors, he couldn’t just pick one. 

 

“Rainbow,” Eddie remembered the word and it struck him with happiness as he said it. Rainbow was everything all in one. Reds, yellows and blues combined into a beautiful arch in the sky which appeared only after the bad storm. 

 

“Nice, I like it,” Richie shifted over a bit, getting comfortable before answering his own question. “Mine’s… yellow.” Richie smiled at Eddie, but instead of the cocky grins he usually shows to all of his friends, this one was light and airy, more genuine than Eddie had ever seen the boy.

 

Eddie nodded and flashed the boy a smile of his own which in return made Richie’s chest tighten.

 

“Alright, enough of that sappy stuff, back to the questions!” Eddie tilted his head as Richie almost shouted.

 

“Sappy?” Eddie’s eyebrows knit together in confusion, eyes wide as he looked for an explanation from the other boy.

 

“Yeah, um… it means heartfelt? Nah, Stan The Man is the master of big words. Like, its sweet but like, too sweet. But it’s only used when people are talking and shit, not about food or anything.” Richie’s hands moved quickly as he explained. Eddie seemed to consider the definition before slowly nodding, a thing Richie caught the boy doing quite a lot. “Here’s another question. Are you hungry? Cause I sure as hell am.” Richie didn’t wait for an answer, he just stood up and walked out of the door. 

 

Eddie watched as he walked away before scrambling up off the bed and running over to the other boy. Richie heard the fast patter of Eddie’s feet hitting the ground and turned around to the sight of the small boy running after him. He stopped to wait for the brunette to catch up, a smile making its way onto his face.


	7. The Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back?!

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, FUCK!” Stan watched with amusement as Bill paced around the living room, arms swinging at his sides as he looked down at his feet. He looked up and over at the chair currently being occupied by the sandy haired boy. “Th-this is no j-j-joking matter, S-stan.”

 

Stan simply nodded, the acknowledgement enough for Bill to start pacing once again. “Y’know, the truth seems like a shit idea, but if your parents found out you lied to them they’d be even more pissed off then they would be if you just, I don’t know, told them the truth?” Bill stopped his shuffling feet, looking over at Stan with his eyes narrowed, but the boy was too occupied with pushing back his cuticles to notice the other boy staring at him. He huffed, throwing himself down harshly on the couch, legs flying up before flopping down over the armrest.

 

“I know, b-but I’m just s-s-scared of their reaction.” Bill looked at Stan from over his swinging feet, hands fiddling on his chest with nerves.

 

“I know, but I asked my dad if I could stay over, and I’ll be here to help you through it if you get too nervous or anything,” abandoning his previous task, Stan looked up at Bill, offering a reassuring smile.

 

“Thanks, Stan.” Bill smiled back when the sound of jingling could be heard from the other side of the front door and his lips turned downwards while he watched the doorknob turn.

 

“Bill, Georgie, I'm home!” Bill closed his eyes, sighing before picking himself up off the couch and walked over to the door to greet his mother.

 

“H-h-hey mom,” His mother smiled brightly at Bill as he greeted her before looking over his shoulder and seeing Stan respectfully sitting on the chair in the living room.

 

“Evening, Mrs. Denbrough,” Stan smiled politely at the woman and as she returned the gesture, she looked around the room.

 

“Nice seeing you boys, but I must ask, where is Georgie?” She looked around the kitchen before turning her attention back to Bill, who was now stood beside her, staring at the floor and quickly moving his fingers around, crossing and uncrossing his hands.

 

“Whe-where is d-dad?” Stan shook his head as Bill avoided the question, but stood up from the armchair and made his way to stand behind his friend.

 

“He has to stay for the two days I was still supposed to be there for cause he had more work to do. Bill, where is your brother?” Mrs. Denbrough’s voice was nowhere near malicious, but Bill couldn’t help but feel intimidated by her and the question hanging heavily in the air.

 

“W-w-well, uh, Guh-Georgie… He, he um-” Bill avoided eye contact which only made Mrs. Denbrough even more nervous, when Stan cut in, having enough with anticipation.

 

“Georgie went missing, Mrs. Denbrough,” Stan looked over at Bill, who seemed both thankful and terrified for the interruption. The boys looked back up to see a shocked expression on Mrs. Denbrough’s face.

 

“What… what do you mean? When? Why didn’t you tell me before?” Bill silently waved for his mother and Stan to follow him into the kitchen. The two followed after the brunette, who walked over to the fridge and poured three glasses of water while Stan and Mrs. Denbrough sat down. She looked over at Stan, knowing well enough that her own son would not be the one talking.

 

“Well, Bill hadn’t told me the exact time he found out Georgie was missing, but I’m pretty positive that it was the day you went on your business trip,” Stan could see the anger on Mrs. Denbrough’s face and decided it was time to take a little bit of a break and let her speak.

 

“Bill, is that true?” Mrs. Denbrough took the glass of water from her son’s hand, taking a sip and looking at him over the lip of the glass, eyebrows raised. Bill nodded, looking down sheepishly as he slid the other glass across the table to Stan. “Why didn’t you tell me?!”

 

Bill winced at the harsh tone his mother had started to use, and Stan saw it was time to interfere and continue with the story. “He was scared, felt that he would inconvenience you both if he called you. But he was very responsible about it. He called me and the rest of the boys as well as Beverly and set up a search party. We really did try to find him, Mrs. Denbrough.” Bill looked over and smiled at the boy again before taking a sip out of his own glass of water.

 

“I called M-mrs. Henderson, t-t-too,” Bill added on, though his voice was soft and quiet. Mrs. Denbrough nodded, watching as they two boys avoided her stare and fiddled their thumbs.

 

“Let me just… ugh. Bill, you have to tell me these things. God forbid we can’t find your brother, then what are we going to do, huh?” Bill’s mother got up from her spot on the stool in front of the island in the kitchen, making her way over to the house phone and picking it up off of the receiver. “You’re lucky your father isn’t home yet. He would be very disappointed in you.” With a wave of her hand, signaling for the boys to scram, she greeted whomever it was she was on the phone with and continued to tell them about the missing Denbrough. Bill’s shoulders slouched even more than they were before as he trudged out of the kitchen and out the front door with Stan right behind him.

 

Taking in a breath of fresh air, the brunette took a seat on the stoop leading into the house, propping his head up on the palms of his hands, looking out at the street. Stan sighed, putting his hands down at his sides as he, too, took a seat.

 

“Wha-what if she’s right?” Stan turned to look at Bill, who was still looking out across from himself, eyebrows drawn together tight and bottom lip starting to quiver. Stan made a noise of confusion, prompting the other boy to go on. “What if… if we can’t f-find him. Wh-what if Georgie’s n-not out th-there?”

 

Stan rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder, turning to face him.. “She’s wrong, Bill. he’s out there, it’s just up to us to find him,” Stan turned his body back towards the street, but his eyes never faltered off of the boy sitting next to him, “Cause god knows no one in this piece of shit town is going to do anything about it.” Bill let out a laugh, but it was more of a whimper than anything.

 

“That… that’s the t-truth, Stan The Man.” Bill smiled, glancing over at the boy who in return groaned at the mention of the nickname.

 

“Not you too. You know, I can only deal with so much Richie in a day.” Bill threw his head back and laughed, making Stan himself smile a bit at the change of atmosphere.

 

The two boys sat together, watching as the sun went down and the sky looked as if it were a watercolor painting, blues, pinks, oranges, and purples melting together creating an almost magical-looking utopia. The air was crisp and the breeze wasn’t too hard or cold, just enough for a rush of wind to fill up their lungs and send a chill down their spines.

 

“My place for dinner?” Stan looked back at Bill, noticing how the boy smiled, a soft-looking gesture, not missing the relief in his eyes.

 

“It’d be an h-honor, Stan The M-man.” Bill smiled, standing up and laughing as Stan shoved him, the two making their way towards the Uris residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey hey hey! I know it's been a while and a lot of my original readers probably aren't even reading this anymore, but that's okay, because I know there are a few of you who still read this (thanks for the kudos you all are still leaving even though this is abandoned, it means a lot to me and makes me smile). I was going through my Drive when I saw this and realized how long it's been since I last updated this, so I thought I might as well just whip up a little something-somethin for you guys. Sorry this one is really short (or at least significantly shorter than the other chapters), I just wanted to get something out for you all to read! I hope you enjoyed this and, who knows, maybe writing this chapter will get me back into the swing of things and there will be more to come.. If not, feel free to steal this idea as it is nowhere near belonging to me at all. I'll let you guys know for sure if I really don't think I'll be coming back to this but as of know, I hold this story close to my heart and know that there will be at least a few more chapters. Thank you all so much for still reading this even after I have taken quite a long break, and I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Have a wonderful day, my loves, and I'll hopefully update this soon! :)


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